A hail damaged roof rarely leaks on day one. It loses granules, the mat bruises, and altitude UV and freeze-thaw finish the job over the next few winters. Get the roof inspected within weeks of the storm, while the bruises are fresh and easy to prove. Damage spread across slopes usually means insurance pays to replace, minus your deductible. Damage confined to one area on a younger roof can be repaired. Under Colorado law you get a written contract, nobody can waive your deductible, and you can back out within 72 hours if the claim is denied. Alta inspects for free and photographs every hit.
What should you do right after a hailstorm hits your roof?
Stop the water first, then build your record. Insurers expect you to limit further damage, and a tarp over an active leak protects the ceiling, the insulation and your claim. Everything else can wait for the sun.
- Step 01
Make it safe
Walk the yard, not the roof. Look for downed lines, broken glass and branches hanging over the house. Hail on a steep, wet roof is a fall waiting to happen.
- Step 02
Tarp any active leak
If water is coming in, call us. Alta runs 24/7 emergency service, including emergency tarping, across Colorado Springs, Pueblo and the towns around them. Keep the receipt, it's part of the claim.
- Step 03
Photograph everything the same day
Hailstones next to a coin or tape measure. Dented gutters, downspouts, window wraps and AC fins. Granules piled at the downspout outlets. Time stamps matter.
- Step 04
Get a photo-documented inspection
Book a free inspection before you file, so you know whether you have a real claim, and how big, before an adjuster puts a number on it.
- Step 05
Read your policy, then file
Find your wind and hail deductible and whether the roof is on replacement cost or actual cash value, then file. Windows are commonly one to two years from the date of loss. Check your policy.
One thing not to do: sign anything in the driveway. After a big storm the door knockers arrive before the puddles dry. Your legal protections and the warning signs are further down.
How do you know if hail damaged your roof?
Hail leaves a different fingerprint on every material, and much of it can't be seen from the street.
Asphalt shingles
Asphalt is the most common roof in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and it shows hail three ways. Granule loss leaves bald spots where the dark mat shows through. Bruising is a soft spot you feel more than see, like a thumb pressed into an apple, and the mat under it has fractured. Circular fractures are the half-moon cracks big hail punches into the mat. Bruises are what homeowners miss and adjusters argue about.
Metal roofing
Metal sheds hail better than asphalt but it isn't immune. Dents are the obvious sign. Cracked paint or coating is the one that costs you later, because that's where rust starts.
Wood shake
Fresh hail splits on cedar are bright, brown or orange, with sharp, clean edges. Grey, weathered splits with soft edges are age, not the storm, and an adjuster will call them that. Very large hail can punch straight through older shakes.
Clay and concrete tile
Look for star cracks radiating from a single point, and chipped or missing corners. A chipped corner breaks the overlap that sheds water to the tile below, so tile damage is functional more often than it looks.
| Material | Real hail damage | Often mistaken for hail |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle | Granule loss with exposed mat, soft bruises, circular fractures, random pattern across the slope | Heat blistering, foot-traffic scuffs, even granule loss from age, mechanical damage in straight lines |
| Metal | Fresh dents, cracked coating, dented ridge caps and trim | Oil-canning from thermal movement, old installer dents in rows |
| Wood shake | Bright splits with sharp edges, punctures | Grey weathered splits, cupping, moss and rot |
| Tile | Star cracks, chipped corners, broken tiles in a random scatter | Foot-traffic cracks, freeze-thaw spalling on old tile |
What you can check from the ground and the attic
- Binoculars. Scan each slope for missing tabs, shiny black spots, and textures that look different from the rest of the roof.
- Downspout outlets. Granules that look like coarse black sand mean the shingles are shedding their UV shield.
- Soft metals. Gutters, downspouts, roof vents, AC fins and window wraps dent at hail sizes that also bruise shingles, and they date the storm and show its direction.
- Attic with a flashlight. Damp insulation, dark stains on the underside of the deck, daylight through a nail hole, a drip during the next rain.
If two or three of those show up, book the inspection. It costs nothing and puts dated photos on file before the evidence weathers off.
Why is hail damage roof repair such a big deal in Colorado Springs and Pueblo?
Because we live in hail alley. Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming make up the most hail-prone stretch of the country, and El Paso County is among the counties with more than 1,500 recorded hailstorms since 1950 in NOAA's hail climatology. Pueblo County sits just south of it, in the same hail belt.
The Rocky Mountain Insurance Association's list of Colorado's costliest hailstorms puts two of them in our service area. The July 2016 Colorado Springs storm caused about $352.8 million in insured losses. The July 2009 Pueblo storm caused about $232.8 million.
Altitude ages a hail damaged roof faster
Colorado Springs sits at about 6,035 feet. Monument is about 6,960 feet on the Palmer Divide. Pueblo is lower at about 4,692 feet and still well above the plains. Thinner air means stronger UV, and UV is what cooks the asphalt in a shingle once the granules are gone. A bruise that would sit quietly for years at sea level turns brittle and cracks here.
Then there's freeze-thaw. Our winters cross freezing dozens of times. Water gets into a fracture, freezes, expands, and opens the crack wider each cycle. By spring, a cosmetic bruise from last July's storm can be a leak path. That's why we say inspect within weeks, not seasons.
What does a professional hail damage inspection involve?
A real inspection is a documented count that holds up when the adjuster stands on the same roof, so we do it the way adjusters do it.
- Soft metals first. Gutters, downspouts, vents, AC fins and window wraps. Dent size and direction tell us the hail size and which slopes took the worst of it.
- Test squares on every slope. We chalk a 10 by 10 foot square on each slope and mark every hit inside it. Each carrier applies its own hit threshold per square, and that count decides repair or replace.
- Photograph every hit. Wide shot, close-up, chalk circle, slope label. The same set goes to you and into the claim.
- Check the whole envelope. Hail rarely stops at the roofline, and one claim should cover gutters, siding and windows too.
- Attic and ventilation. Stains on the deck, wet insulation, and whether intake and exhaust are doing their job.
Cosmetic versus functional damage
Functional damage affects the roof's ability to shed water or shortens its life: exposed mat, fractured substrate, cracked tile, split shake. Cosmetic damage is a dent or mark that doesn't, on its own, let water in. Carriers care about the line because a growing number of Colorado policies carry a cosmetic damage exclusion or endorsement on the roof surface. Read yours before you assume dented metal is covered.
On asphalt, 'cosmetic' is usually a stopwatch, not a verdict. A dent that strips granules exposes the asphalt to UV, the shingle goes brittle, and cracks follow. We document bruising as functional when the mat is compromised, and say so plainly when it isn't.
How hail shortens roof life
- Moisture gets under the shingle. Fractures and lifted seal strips let wind-driven rain and snowmelt reach the underlayment and deck.
- Deck rot and mould. Wet OSB softens, nails lose their grip, and the roof goes spongy underfoot. Rotten deck is a common surprise at tear-off.
- Freeze-thaw and UV. Every winter cycle widens the cracks the hail started, and bare asphalt at 6,000 feet doesn't last.
We inspect for the latent damage as well as the leak, because latent damage is what becomes a much bigger roof repair three winters from now.
Is hail damage roof repair covered by insurance?
Yes, in most Colorado homeowner policies hail is a covered peril. What you actually receive depends on replacement cost versus actual cash value, the size of your wind and hail deductible, and the roof endorsements in your declarations pages. The full process is in the insurance claim roofing guide.
Replacement cost versus actual cash value
| Replacement Cost Value (RCV) | Actual Cash Value (ACV) | |
|---|---|---|
| Payout basis | Cost to replace the roof today, paid in stages | Replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear |
| Your out of pocket | Usually just your deductible | Deductible plus every dollar of depreciation, never recovered |
| How it's paid | ACV check first, then supplements, then recoverable depreciation on proof of completion | One check at the depreciated value |
| Watch for | The window to recover depreciation. It varies by carrier, find it before work starts | A roof surfacing payment schedule or ACV-only endorsement on an older roof, often added without the homeowner noticing |
Your deductible is probably a percentage
Wind and hail deductibles in Colorado are often a percentage of the dwelling coverage, commonly 1% to 2% or more. On $400,000 of dwelling coverage, a 1% deductible is $4,000 and a 2% deductible is $8,000. Know that number before you file. A small repair on one slope may cost less than the deductible, and a denied or withdrawn claim can still appear on your loss history report (CLUE).
Nobody can waive it. Not us, not anyone.
Colorado's Senate Bill 12-038 prohibits a roofer from paying, waiving or rebating any part of your insurance deductible, and requires the contract to say so. A contractor offering a 'free roof' is telling you they'll inflate the claim or cut the scope. Alta will never pay, waive or rebate a deductible.
Working with the adjuster
We meet the adjuster on the roof. Adjusters walk dozens of roofs after a Springs or Pueblo storm, and a chalked test square with photos is easier to agree with than a memory. First scopes still miss things. The line items we most often add by supplement, with documentation, are drip edge, ice-and-water membrane where code requires it, ventilation, starter course, steep or two-storey access charges, a second shingle layer found at tear-off, and detach and reset of solar or a satellite dish. If your policy carries Ordinance or Law coverage, code-required upgrades are payable too. At closeout we send proof of completion and chase the recoverable depreciation so the final check actually arrives. Details on how we handle insurance claims.
One boundary we keep. Alta is the contractor, not a public adjuster. Negotiating the claim on your behalf is a licensed public adjuster's role, paid as a percentage of the settlement. We document, estimate, meet the adjuster and supplement our own scope. If you and your carrier disagree on the amount of loss, most policies contain an appraisal clause, and the Colorado Division of Insurance at DORA takes complaints about insurers.
Should you repair or replace a hail damaged roof?
Replace when the damage is spread across slopes or the roof is already past the middle of its life. Repair when the hits are confined to one area, the shingles still flex, and a matching shingle exists. The table below is how we call it in the driveway.
| What we find | Repair | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Where the hits are | One slope or one area, the rest clean | Hits across two or more slopes, or the carrier's threshold met |
| Roof age | Younger roof, shingles still pliable | Older roof, shingles brittle, granules already thin |
| Shingle condition | Surface granule loss, no mat fractures | Bruising with fractured mat, circular cracks, exposed mat |
| Matching shingles | Same product and colour still made | Product discontinued, or colour won't blend |
| Insurance position | Repair cost near or below your deductible | Carrier approves the slope or the whole roof |
What a repair actually involves on a hail-bruised roof
Replacing a shingle means breaking the seal strip on the course above, pulling the nails, sliding the new shingle in, and resealing. On a roof that took hail, the shingles around the repair are bruised and brittle too. Lift one and it cracks in your hand. Now the repair is three shingles, then six, and the patch spreads. That's why spot repairs on hail-bruised asphalt so often fail within a season or two, and why we say up front when a repair is throwing money at a roof that needs to come off.
Matching is the other problem. Shingle colours get discontinued, and a ten-year-old roof has faded under Colorado sun. When the product no longer exists, a repair means a mismatched patch on a visible slope, and that's one of the things that pushes a claim from repair to replacement. We carry IKO as our primary line and can source most current products, but we won't pretend a discontinued colour can be matched.
The attic ventilation check during a hail replacement
A replacement is the one time the whole roof is open, so it's the right time to fix the airflow. We design attic ventilation with Lomanco systems, sized by Net Free Area, and check it on every roof. A hot attic cooks shingles from below and shortens the life of the new roof before the next storm gets a chance. More on attic ventilation.
Either way, the installation carries our lifetime workmanship warranty, manufacturer warranties are available on any shingle type, and financing is available through a broker. See roof replacement for how a job runs from tear-off to final inspection.
What are your rights when you sign a hail repair contract in Colorado?
More than most homeowners realise. Colorado's Senate Bill 12-038 was written for exactly this moment, the week after a storm when out-of-town crews are knocking on doors in Security-Widefield and Pueblo West. On residential roofing work over $1,000 it gives you three protections.
- A written contract. Scope, price and the roofer's contact details on paper before any work starts.
- The deductible clause. The contract must state that the contractor cannot pay, waive or rebate any part of your deductible, and the practice itself is prohibited.
- 72 hours to rescind. If your carrier denies the claim in whole or in part, you can cancel the contract within 72 hours of receiving that written notice.
Permits: who issues them and the one-square rule
The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department issues permits for Colorado Springs, unincorporated El Paso County, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Green Mountain Falls and Woodland Park. Any reroof affecting more than one square (100 square feet) needs one. Stocking materials on site before the permit is issued can earn a stop-work order and a triple fee in the Pikes Peak region, so bundles in your driveway the day you sign are a red flag, not speed.
Inside the City of Pueblo, the Pueblo Regional Building Department handles permits. Unincorporated Pueblo County, including Pueblo West, moved to the Pueblo County Building Division on 1 January 2026. Ask which office your permit is going to. A roofer who doesn't know isn't from here.
Storm-chaser warning signs after a Springs or Pueblo storm
- Out-of-state plates and a local-looking magnet on the truck. Ask for a Colorado phone number and a local job you can drive past.
- 'We'll cover your deductible.' Illegal under SB 12-038, and the first sign the scope will be padded somewhere else.
- A signature before an inspection. A contingency agreement or assignment pushed at the door before anyone has been on the roof.
- A deposit or materials before the permit. See the triple-fee rule above.
Alta is locally owned and family-run, with 90 years of combined team experience, and we're in the same service area every season. Call (719) 337-2126 if a door knocker's pitch sounds off.
Can Class 4 shingles prevent the next hail damage roof repair?
They reduce it. They don't eliminate it, and anyone who calls a Class 4 roof hail-proof is selling. UL 2218 Class 4 is the highest of four impact ratings. To earn it, a shingle takes a 2 inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet, twice on the same spot, without cracking the mat. Class 4 shingles can still lose granules and still dent. What they mostly don't do is fracture the mat, which is the damage that turns into a leak.
The insurance credit, with the honest caveats
C.R.S. 10-4-110.8 requires homeowner insurers writing in Colorado to account for impact-resistant roofing in their rates, and most pass it through as a premium credit. Three caveats. The size varies by carrier, so ask yours for the number. It isn't automatic: you need qualifying UL 2218 Class 4 materials, a closed permit, and the manufacturer's certificate sent to the insurer. And a policy can carry the credit and a cosmetic damage exclusion on the same roof, so read both. A 2026 Colorado law will also require insurers to show in rate filings that resilient-roof savings reach policyholders, phasing in from 2027.
We install IKO and other Class 4 lines and send the certificate and closed permit to your carrier at closeout. See impact-resistant roofing for the options.
Other prevention that actually moves the needle
- Trim branches back from the roof. Wind turns overhanging limbs into saws during the same storm that drops the hail.
- Fix loose flashing before the season. A roof that's already open takes hail and wind worse.
- Keep your inspection photos. A dated set of 'before' photos is the best answer to a 'pre-existing damage' argument on the next claim.
If a storm just went through your neighbourhood, the next step is a free, photo-documented inspection. Contact us or call (719) 337-2126, and read the insurance claim roofing guide before your adjuster visit.
